Description

Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, named a New York Times Notable Book, finalist for the Locus Award, and recipient of both the Bram Stoker Award and Shirley Jackson Award, this compelling novel by acclaimed author Tananarive Due is praised as impossible to put down by Stephen King, who declared it an unforgettable read.

Set against the backdrop of Jim Crow-era Florida, The Reformatory introduces readers to Robert “Robbie” Stephens Jr., a twelve-year-old African-American boy unjustly sentenced in June 1950 to six months in the Gracetown School for Boys, a segregated reformatory institution. Robbie’s only crime was standing up for his older sister, Gloria, after kicking the privileged son of the town’s wealthiest landowner.

From day one, Robbie quickly realizes that the reformatory—known locally as The Reformatory—is a place filled with cruelty, horror, and the harshest of injustices, both for the living and the dead. Gifted with the ability to see spirits—or “haints”—Robbie had once found solace in this talent after losing his mother. Now, within the terrifying walls of the school, Robbie’s visions reveal far darker truths than he imagined: children forced into dangerous labor to pay their supposed debts, boys disappearing without explanation, their fates hinted at by restless spirits haunting the grounds.

As Robbie strives to survive with guidance from friends like Redbone and Blue, Gloria embarks on a desperate mission to mobilize family and connections across Florida to save her younger brother before it’s too late.

Inspired by true family accounts and the chilling real-life history of the notorious Dozier School for Boys, The Reformatory is a profoundly haunting, powerful, and deeply moving historical novel. Celebrated authors Joe Hill and S.A. Cosby vividly acclaim Due’s skill at storytelling, calling the narrative both masterful and hallucinatory. Tananarive Due, winner of the American Book Award, shines a light into the darkest corners of American history, creating an unforgettable, riveting exploration of race, oppression, forgotten history, and profound courage.